On October 24, the round-table, dedicated to the results of the “Normandy Four” summit in Berlin and prospects of the Minsk process, took place in the conference hall of the Russian News Agency TASS.

The event was attended by the permanent plenipotentiary representatives of the DPR in the Contact group at negotiations in Minsk Denis Pushilin and Vladislav Deynego, the Head of the Center of Political Situation Alexey Chesnakov, the senior staff scientist of the Center of Caucasus’s problems and regional security of MSIIR Nikolay Silaev, the political scientists Denis Denisov and Oleg Ignatov, the historian and publicist Armen Gasparyan.

According to the DPR’s plenipotentiary envoy, the resumption of the “Normandy Four’s” work is the important step both for the Donetsk People’s Republic, and the entire world community.

ʺThe fact, that “Normandy Four” continues to exist and the Minsk negotiations have been supported unanimously as ones that has no alternatives is important for the DPR as well as for the outside world.

As for the negotiations, the issue, Ukraine is trying to manipulate, is an issue of the border. Poroshenko raised a question about the border monitoring, but France, Germany and Russia called it untimely,ʺ Denis Pushilin said.

Also, Denis Pushilin reminded that Ukraine had not provided any documents on specific questions, opened in the framework of the Contact Group during the whole negotiation process.

ʺWe note some stagnation, when the Ukrainian side does not have a fixed position, which complicates the negotiation process. The road map issue is urgent, and it is very important for us that “Normandy Four” has decided to develop a single road map. The road map does not substitute a Package of measures, it follows from it and it is intended to synchronize safety and political issues, and to establish deadlines of performing certain tasks as well.

Another issue, raised by the Ukrainian president is the issue of the armed mission… We are categorically against any armed mission in our territory,ʺ Denis Pushilin said.

The permanent plenipotentiary representative of the DPR in the Contact group at negotiations in Minsk, Vladislav Deynego noted that the withdrawal of forces from the Stanitsa Luganskaya was not implemented, moreover, the Ukrainian side is continuing to bring its forces to the contact line.

ʺI completely agree with the road map, but I do not share optimism that it will be soon, since Ukraine is constantly sabotaging the negotiation process.

The military equipment is being brought to Stanitsa Luganskaya and the Ukrainian side has resumed shelling in Sokolniki. During the preparation for the “Normandy Four” meeting, Poroshenko said about the necessity to enhance security and to cease fire and sent new military equipment to his fighters at the same time, and, as a result, there was a quite heavy shelling on October 23.

Poroshenko appealed to the country leaders of participating countries to assist and to collect LPR’s 270 million hrn. debt for water, which seriously puzzled us. Ukraine has stopped all social benefits to our citizens, we are in a state of economic blockade and we have cut off all ties to that side,ʺ Vladislav Deynego said.

The Head of the Center of Political Situation Alexey Chesnakov said that it is too early to discuss about the armed OSCE mission.

ʺAs for the armed mission, it seems to me that it is too early to discuss it, because only the President of Ukraine talks about it. There are no documents about arming the OSCE mission. Only 57 countries have the right to make this decision, and even then such document simply does not exist. It is irrelevant to discuss it. We have to understand that many political issues will intersperse in this road map and the sides can move forward only in case when the opposite side will fulfill its obligations,ʺ Alexey Chesnakov suggested.

However, according to him, it is quite possible to resolve the conflict peacefully.

ʺIt is necessary to review the situation on three points.

1st point is a timeframe. If the road map is agreed on until November, then there will be a possible summit of the “Normandy Four” representatives in December, and, in case of their consent, it will be brought into force and prolong the Minsk process to the end of the next year.

2nd point is the absence of guarantor states’ influence on the Ukraine’s implementation of the Minsk agreements. The Package of measures, as a basic document, must be set out in the road map.

3rd point is the Donbass problematic position in the negotiations. The implementation of the Minsk agreements comes to a point, when you have to sit down at the negotiating table, without perceiving them (the representatives of the DPR – Ed.) as enemies, terrorists, but as a full participant of the negotiations. Because we should decide the future of this region together with Donbass later on,ʺ Alexey Chesnakov summed up.